Watching the Mountain

Chapter 402: Chapter 214: The School

But even though he understood, he couldn’t hide his dejection. The news about the Overseas Archipelago weighed heavily on his heart. If they truly coveted the mainland of the Cultivation Realm and intended to wage war, it would be terrible news for the Sect.

At the same time, he felt a surge of relief. He was glad he had decided to stay. Otherwise, if a war truly broke out and he wasn’t there to fight for the Sect, it would undoubtedly become the greatest regret of his life.

At this thought, he let out a soft sigh, nodded slightly, and said to Xu Ran:

”I’ve already reported this to the Upper Sect. All we can do now is wait for news.”

After speaking, he fell silent for a moment before looking at Xu Ran and bringing up another matter:

”A few days ago, Physician Qing Li submitted a proposal to the Sect. She wants to establish a medical hall to recruit some disciples and teach them both cultivation and medicine. She also plans to lead them to the Mortal World to hold charity clinics once their medical skills are proficient.”

Xu Ran nodded slightly. After Teacher Qing Xuan was dust-covered, he had entrusted Qing Li to Xu Ran’s care, so naturally, he was aware of this matter.

He watched Li Daoyi quietly, not speaking, but waiting for him to continue.

Li Daoyi observed Xu Ran’s expression, pondered for a moment, and then continued:

”She requested a batch of resources—a rather large amount. As you know, since the beginning of the Hidden Dao Era, resources throughout the Cultivation Realm have been dwindling. Even with a surplus, we have to consider future contingencies. To suddenly allocate so many resources would be detrimental to the Sect’s development.”

’He knew what Qing Li was doing was an act of kindness and was extremely meaningful. Ordinarily, he should support it.

’But times were different now. The coming of a prosperous age was at least ten thousand years away.

’Over such a long period, especially with resource production set to decline even further after the Dao Concealment, the Sect’s current resources were its foundation for surviving the Dao Concealment Era. Every single portion was exceedingly precious.

’As the Sect Leader, his first priority had to be the Sect’s long-term development. Under these circumstances, being asked to allocate resources to support something meaningful—but which wouldn’t directly strengthen the Sect—truly put him in a difficult position.’

Xu Ran understood Li Daoyi’s meaning, and he wasn’t surprised. What Qing Li wanted to do was noble and incredibly meaningful, but that didn’t mean the Sect was obligated to expend its reserves to support her during such a critical time.

He studied Li Daoyi’s face and let out a soft sound of inquiry. ”How many resources did she request?” he asked.

”Resources for three thousand new disciples.”

Xu Ran was also taken aback by this number. Although he knew of Qing Li’s plans, he wasn’t aware of the specific details. Even he hadn’t expected her to want to train so many apprentices right from the start.

’Still, Xu Ran could understand her sentiment. The Mortal World was vast; holding charity clinics with too few people would be ineffective.’

After a moment of silence, he looked at Li Daoyi and asked, ”What are you planning to do?”

Li Daoyi mulled it over for a moment before replying, ”It is, after all, a meaningful endeavor. If done well, it will be good for the Sect’s reputation. A good reputation would give us an advantage when recruiting new disciples.”

”However, three thousand disciples is too many. I’m prepared to provide resources for one hundred to support her.”

He looked at Xu Ran, hesitated for a moment, and continued, ”Physician Qing Li requested resources for three thousand, but I only approved enough for one hundred. The discrepancy... might be disheartening for her.”

”You have a good relationship with her, so I was hoping you might talk to her and make sure she doesn’t lose her enthusiasm over this.”

Hearing Li Daoyi’s words, Xu Ran’s eyes narrowed slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. ’No wonder he brought this up with me. So that was his plan.’

After a moment of amusement, he waved his hand gently and said:

”Actually, this doesn’t have to be so complicated. Both you and Qing Li are thinking about this too formally. You’ve overlooked something: training physician apprentices doesn’t necessarily require recruiting new disciples.”

Hearing this, Li Daoyi was momentarily stunned. Xu Ran’s words were a revelation, and he instantly understood.

’That’s right! It’s just about training physician apprentices. Why do we need to recruit new disciples? The Sect has so many disciples. If we just announce this, some will surely be interested. As long as they learn some basic medical skills, holding charity clinics in the Mortal World would be no problem at all. After seeing Qing Li’s request, he had been so focused on the Sect’s development and its reserves—on how many resources would be appropriate to allocate—that he had subconsciously overlooked other possibilities. Even the most brilliant people make mistakes. It was normal.’

Li Daoyi mused for a moment, then said, ”I will announce this within the Sect and let interested disciples go and learn. The *Mortal Medical Compendium* has a great reputation in the Cultivation Realm, so I’m sure many disciples will be interested. However...”

He trailed off, pondering for another moment before continuing, ”Physician Qing Li likely wanted to recruit new disciples for the sake of continuing the legacy of her medical arts. Our current disciples are fine for helping with charity clinics, but for something like passing on a legacy, it’s best to train people from the very beginning.”

”So, let’s keep the one hundred portions of resources as they are. The *Mortal Medical Compendium* is a treasure of our Sect. Two disciples have already dedicated their entire lives to it, and now Physician Qing Li is preparing to do the same.”

”When our disciples show such dedication, the Sect has a responsibility and an obligation to support them and ensure their legacy endures.”